Bill Belichick Rumors: Commanders' Harris 'Enamored with' Possibly Hiring Patriots HC

Washington Commanders principal owner Josh Harris is "enamored with the idea" of Bill Belichick coaching the team, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.

"The question is whether Harris would give Belichick full control over personnel — and whether Belichick would regard the absence of final say over the roster and the draft as as dealbreaker," Florio wrote.

There are other factors at play. The Commandeers haven't fired Ron Rivera yet, though that has looked like a foregone conclusion for weeks. Belichick has also been typically evasive whenever he has been asked about his future beyond this season.

ESPN's Mike Reiss cited a Pats staffer who said "no one has any idea of what's going to happen" on the coaching front.

"There's not a soul in the building that does," the staffer said.

The MMQB's Albert Breer reported in November on The Rich Eisen Show the Commanders were among the "most connected" teams to Belichick in the event he leaves New England.

By mid-December, Mike Sando of The Athletic reported "quite a few people in the NFL see Washington as a logical destination for Belichick."

One coach interviewed by Sando posited Belichick "would show these guys how to be an owner" and "give these owners some respect in the ownership circle."

As much as the 71-year-old would mean in terms of instant credibility, though, there would be a level of risk attached to his hiring, especially if Harris were to grant him additional authority over building the roster.

In the four years after Tom Brady left the Patriots, Belichick hasn't allocated money well in free agency and had some notable whiffs in the NFL draft. His handling of Mac Jones has been puzzling at times as well.

None of that is ideal for an organization that's hitting the reset button and may be centering its future around a young quarterback. Washington will have the No. 2 overall pick with a loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

At the end of the day, Harris' motivation ultimately trumps whether Belichick is the best fit for the Commanders, and based on Florio's report, ownership is fully behind the prospect.